In a cozy little village, nestled beside a sparkling river, lived a man named Mr. Fitzwilliam. Now, Mr. Fitzwilliam wasn't just careful with his money; he was super-duper careful. He liked to make sure every single coin was spent in the best possible way.

One sunny morning, Mr. Fitzwilliam needed some soy sauce for his noodles. He took his little bottle and trotted off to Mrs. Higgins' shop. Mrs. Higgins had a big barrel of yummy, dark soy sauce.

Mr. Fitzwilliam peered into the barrel. "Aha!" he thought. "The thickest, richest soy sauce always settles at the bottom. That's the best bit!"

So, he said to Mrs. Higgins, "Good morning! I'd like some soy sauce, please. But could you wait just a little while before you scoop it? I want it to settle properly."

Mrs. Higgins, who was a kind lady, smiled and said, "Of course, Mr. Fitzwilliam. Take your time."

So, Mr. Fitzwilliam waited. He watched the barrel. He tapped his foot. A few minutes passed. Other villagers came in, bought their things, and left.
"Is it ready yet, Mr. Fitzwilliam?" asked Mrs. Higgins, after a while.
"Not quite, not quite," he replied, still staring at the barrel. "Just a little longer, to be sure."

More time passed. The sun climbed higher in the sky. Mrs. Higgins started to get a little bit busy. She served bread, then some sweets, then some rice.
Finally, Mr. Fitzwilliam declared, "Now! I think it's perfectly settled!"

Mrs. Higgins, a tiny bit flustered from waiting and serving others, quickly dipped the ladle into the barrel. But because she was in a bit of a hurry, and perhaps a little tired of waiting, she didn't scoop from the very bottom. She just took a quick scoop from the middle.

She poured it into Mr. Fitzwilliam's bottle. "There you go, sir!"

Mr. Fitzwilliam paid his coins, feeling very pleased. He believed he had gotten the absolute best, thickest soy sauce because he had waited so patiently. He hummed a happy tune all the way home.

But when he poured it on his noodles, it was just... regular soy sauce. Not extra thick, not extra rich. Just good, ordinary soy sauce. All that waiting, and he ended up with what he would have gotten if he'd just asked for it right away! And Mrs. Higgins had even given him a tiny bit less than usual because she was so rushed.

Sometimes, trying too hard to get a tiny bit extra can mean you don't get quite what you hoped for, or you make things a bit tricky for everyone.

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